cummins 80???

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Sep 6, 2008
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Hi, I was just offered a 91 fj80 for $200. I was thinking of parting it out, but the body and frame are excellent. It runs and drives but has 256,000 miles on it. There is also a clunking/ grinding noise coming from either the tranny or front diff. No locking diffs:mad:, it does have the CDL. What I was wondering is if the Cummins 6bt I have sitting around would fit in it? Anybody tried this swap yet. Would a set of stiff springs be enough to hold the weight? I will not be using this for any serious off roading, mostly a DD. Have a 60 for offroad. Any Ideas???
 
you're such a :grinpimp: if you make that work, I'm jealous.
 
Buy it and part it out or fix it and drive it to death.

The 6bt is very heavy compared to the 3fe in the truck. you would need to mod the suspension and do the swap, IMO too expensive for a 256,000 mile truck. BTW 91 and 92 80's never had OEM F&R lockers.
 
Trade your 6bt for a 4bt and start fabbin. Several on here have done the swap. Search for Veggie 80's build.

Or buy it, build it cheap and enjoy one of the best deals around. Sliders, used tires/lift, and an aussie locker for a little over a grand and your on your way.
 
Could but plan on full drivetrain conversion with tranny and transfer case, the cummins can put out a Bunch of torque! Awhile back up north somewhere in a thread their was a 6BT powered FJ80 running around. Proffitts Cruisers does Cummins conversions and more.


DO IT!!!!!!

Or just rebuild the dirt cheap 3FE for confidence and drive it until the body falls apart. 91/92's came stock with CDL switches, '93 started the VC and no more switch
 
Dang for 200 dollars you could drive it until it dies, take it to a metal recycling place and make a profit
 
I can get the manual tranny that was attached to the cummins cheap and I already have a 205 transfercase. Fab is not a problem just wondering if it would fit without having to cut into the firewall or something crazy like that!! Oh yeah, is the rear diff centered on a 80 or offset? I forgot to look at that!
 
Off-center to the right.
 
How about rebuilding the 3fe? Can you get rebuild kits for it? Pricey? Hate to start up ANOTHER project right now, and rebuilding would be alot simpler that fabbing up the Cummins! Just trying to figure out what to do, I hate to see this cruiser get scrapped. If the drive train could be freshened up, there is alot of life left in the rest of this rig.
 
Hi, I was just offered a 91 fj80 for $200. I was thinking of parting it out, but the body and frame are excellent. It runs and drives but has 256,000 miles on it. There is also a clunking/ grinding noise coming from either the tranny or front diff. No locking diffs:mad:, it does have the CDL. What I was wondering is if the Cummins 6bt I have sitting around would fit in it? Anybody tried this swap yet. Would a set of stiff springs be enough to hold the weight? I will not be using this for any serious off roading, mostly a DD. Have a 60 for offroad. Any Ideas???

It is completely do-able and has be done several times. I am a diesel service technician and I can tell you it won't be easy. However, in my opinion, it IS well worth it. 4bt swaps are much more popular for several reasons, but you already have a 6bt, so you might as use it. The two engines are, for all practical purposes, identical other subtracting two cylinders. Look on here or 4btswaps.com for info and follow the threads for your build. If you do the work and already have the engine, you looking at about $4000 to do the swap. Good luck!
 
3FEs aren't hard to work on, a full rebuild wouldn't be bad at all, and I'm sure the bottom end is probably fine too....NORMALLY the bottom is, atleast.

I'd say with a $2000-2500 budget you'd be able to rebuild/tweak the 3FE and build up a VERY capable rig. And when sheetmetal damage isn't a concern, you can run that rig almost anywhere with 35-37s, gears (5.29s IMO would be best in a trail only rig), lunchbox lockers fr/rr, and locking hubs....3" lift would be dirt-cheap and plenty high enough, armor may or may not be a concern.
 
If I dont do the Cummins, I'm thinking about just rebuilding the 3fe for a reliable grocery getter for the wife and kids, very minor offroading. That way I can get a little crazy with my 60!!
 
I'd say switch that idea around. A junk 80 would make a much better wheeler than a decent or better 60. If your 60 is in good or better shape, it might be easier to primp it for your wife than it would be to polish up a turd 80. I never got better than 12mpg around town, bone-stock, with my 3FE. I'm sure that 60 does better than that. I guess the auto vs manual thing might be an issue for the :princess:
 
i have a cummins in my 80. you need at least a 4"lift to clear the motor. i still have the stock tranny and transfercase in it. guts of the tranny built to handle the cummins. about a 2-4month wait for the parts coming from australia. i also have the part time kit in with locking hubs. truck makes 22mpg turning 35x13.5r15 toyo's. as far as springs go i have air bags with on board compressor and tank. i have it for sale if you want to look at some pics. search classified cummins diesel 80. the truck will fly.
 
L/c parts

There are TONS of 80 cruisers here in Canada from Japan and no parts- I bet if you put the parts from that thing on e-bay you'd make out like a bandit!!!:grinpimp:
 
This is something I was thinking of doing... switching to Diesel. I have a 91 sitting in my driveway that I stuck a modified LT1 in. It had a 383 whenI bought it so the adapters are all there. I just need to wire it but, one of the GM diesels (I was told) should drop in with no problem and the wiring is less and they are fairly cheap... you see them on Ebay etc.

Gotta think of something to do with this as I am on the verge of selling it...

Good luck!

v/r,
 

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